For what feels like an eternity, the Celtics have had a very clear pecking order on offense when it comes to scoring the ball. They’ve employed two elite scorers in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, with everyone filling in behind them. Last season, things obviously took a turn with JT missing most of the season, but the team largely made up for it by committee around JB.
This season, after trading Brown away, there were some real questions about who would provide the scoring behind Tatum. Paul George came in, but he’s obviously not the superstar sidekick he once was. Derrick White looked overmatched as a number two scorer last year. Payton Pritchard shines off the bench, but his star leap was purely speculative.
And so far, through ten games, we still don’t really have a definitive answer. We’ve seen all three of those guys blow up at times, but the only true constant has been Tatum. And at least so far, that hasn’t been an issue.
Celtics don't need a clear #2 every night
The Celtics have the third-highest offensive rating in the league, and they’ve been buzzing on that end of the floor, and the addition of PG has been a big reason why. The Tatum-centric offense is working because, as a co-star, George simply fits into the system and plays off of Tatum, rather than needing the offense to run through him.
George went crazy on opening day, with 38 points; he carried the load with 25 in the game that Tatum missed, and he came through on Sunday night with 27. But otherwise, he has been steadily in the teens and scored just 8 points on Friday against the Hornets. And that’s perfectly okay.
Boston doesn’t need George to be scoring in the 20s every night; they just need him to be consistent, to thrive in his role, and to have the occasional blow-up game. And so far, he has done that to perfection. There are going to be nights when the team needs more from him, or nights when he’s on fire, and those are going to be huge over the course of the regular season.
PG perfectly understands when to pick his spots
His ability to pick his spots and know when he has it and should be more aggressive, or when the offense is floundering and he needs to step up, has been extremely impressive and has saved the Celtics on multiple occasions.
He has taken such a selfless approach, and it’s clear that he’s focused on nothing but winning and what he can do to help the team. Some nights that’s going to mean taking over and getting up 10+ three-pointers, while other nights it will mean taking a backseat, spacing the court, and focusing on defense.
Whatever ego he had was left at the door, and he has embraced this new role with 100% buy-in. That’s exactly what the Celtics needed from him, and at this point, it’s what’s best for his career, both in the short term and in terms of longevity. If this team is going to compete for a title, they’re going to need George to be a big reason why, and the early returns have been incredibly promising.
Add us as a preferred source on Google